Modesty

Scripture’s concerns about modest dress and minimal use of makeup are for promoting a chaste inner life.

One’s outward appearance reflects one’s mind. A painted face and immodest dress are advertisements for a wanton mind, while simple apparel and a natural, unadorned face are characteristic of a gentle and pure spirit.

Beauty can be divine or a cause of temptation—it depends upon the motivation. In this regard, Father Moon asks some revealing questions: “For whom do you put on makeup, for your husbands or for other men?” and “Do you adorn yourself to attract others to love you or to spread your love to others?”

Modesty in Dress

Women should adorn themselves modestly and sensibly in seemly apparel, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly attire but by good deeds, as befits women who profess religion. 1 Timothy 2.9-11

Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and be modest. That is purer for them. Lo! God is Aware of what they do. And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms, and not to reveal their adornment save to their own husbands or fathers… or children who know naught of women’s nakedness. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And turn unto God together, O believers, in order that ye may succeed.21 Qur’an 24.30-32

Let not yours be the outward adorning with braiding of hair, decoration of gold, and wearing of fine clothing, but let it be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable jewel of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. So once the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves and were submissive to their husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. 1 Peter 3.3-5

Woman, before decking yourself, make yourself acceptable to your Lord, Lest He should visit not your couch, and your makeup be gone to waste. In the woman finding acceptance with her Lord, lies the beauty of her makeup. Should her makeup be acceptable, shall she have the love of her Lord. Let her deck herself in fear of the Lord, joy in God her perfume, Love her sustenance. Dedicating body and mind to her Lord, let her in love to Him be united. Adi Granth, Var Suhi, M.3, p. 788 (Sikhism)

In The Book of Songs it is said, Over her brocaded robe She wore a plain and simple dress, In that way showing her dislike of the loudness of its color and magnificence. Thus the ways of the moral man are unobtrusive and yet they grow more and more in power and evidence; whereas the ways of the vulgar person are ostentatious, but lose more and more in influence until they perish and disappear. The life of the moral man is plain, and yet not unattractive; it is simple, and yet full of grace; it is easy, and yet methodical. He knows that the accomplishment of great things consists in doing little things well. He knows that great effects are produced by small causes. He knows the evidence and reality of what cannot be perceived by the senses. Thus he is enabled to enter into the world of ideas and morals. Doctrine of the Mean 33 (Confucianism)

The body is impure, bad-smelling, and replete with various kinds of stench which trickle here and there. If one, possessed of such a body, thinks highly of him or herself and despises others, that is due to nothing other than lack of insight.22 Sutta Nipata 205-06 (Buddhism)

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
One woman uses makeup to enhance her beauty; another is beautiful without makeup. Between the two, whose face is more in harmony when she smiles?

Little children are beautiful. How would it be if you put makeup on their faces, lipstick and eye shadow? Think how ugly and unnatural they would look.

From God’s point of view, from the vantage point of His great age, you are younger than a new baby. When God sees us humans wearing makeup and enjoying it, I think He might feel far more displeased than we would on seeing a made-up baby lying in a crib. (97:49-50, February 26, 1978)

In the sight of God, fallen human beings are so ugly and dirty and distorted that He does not want to look at them. He does not want to smell them or get anywhere near them.

Nevertheless, women believe that God would prefer to see them in church wearing makeup, jewelry and their best clothing. It is ridiculous and pathetic! (94:42, June 26, 1977)

Do you women put on makeup for your husbands, or to look attractive to other men? Generally, a husband does not like his wife’s makeup. He might say that her manicured fingernails look like fox claws.

Actually, they can be dangerous. Does a loving husband want to touch those claws? If he liked his wife’s nail polish, he would ask her to put it on everyday. Have you ever heard of a husband who gives his wife manicures?

I don’t know of any. Women who put on makeup are not responding to their husbands; they responding to Satan’s electrical waves. (201:104-05, March 11, 1990)

Women should always look beautiful, even if it requires using makeup and perfume. A wife should not be indebted to her husband in emotional life. She should always concern herself with her husband’s body and clothes. If he comes home tired, she should prepare water for him to wash his face…

A woman’s smile is the flower of the family. To establish a harmonious family, a wife needs to be a first-class actress in both comedy and tragedy. Whether her husband is joyful or sad, she should have the ability to completely melt him all the time. (27:88, November 26, 1969)

Do you women put on makeup in front of the mirror, thinking, “I am going to attract the attention of a lot of men by looking beautiful”? Or do you think, “I want to look pretty to spread joy to others”? Which is it?

You are thinking to look beautiful, so others may think well of you and be attracted to you. That way of thinking is Satan’s way. Why are butterflies colorful and flowers beautiful?

Their beauty spreads joy to the whole creation. It would be okay to wear makeup if you were thinking, “I am putting on makeup to make the world more beautiful, like a flower or a butterfly.”

It is not the makeup a woman wears but her motivation for wearing it that determines whether she is on the side of heaven or hell. (129:316-17, December 1, 1983)

Modesty in Manners and Deportment

Turn not your cheek in scorn toward folk, nor walk with pertness in the land. Lo! God loves not each braggart boaster. Be modest in your bearing and subdue your voice. Lo! The harshest of all voices is the voice of the ass. Qur’an 31.18-19

Because the daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with outstretched necks, glancing wantonly with their eyes, mincing along as they go, tinkling with their feet; the Lord will smite with a scab the heads of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will lay bare their secret parts. Isaiah 3.16-17

If you are handsome, do not go astray after lewdness, but honor your Creator, and fear Him, and praise Him with the beauty which He has given you. Pesikta Rabbati 127a (Judaism)

He who beholds a beautiful woman should say, “Blessed be He who hath created such in His universe.” But is even mere looking permitted? The following can surely be raised as an objection: “Thou shalt keep from every evil thing” [Deut. 23.10] implies that one should not look intently at a beautiful woman, even if she be unmarried, nor at a married woman, even if she be ugly, nor at a woman’s gaudy garments, nor at male and female asses or at a pig and a sow or at fowls when they are mating. Talmud, Avoda Zara 20ab (Judaism)

Easy is the life of a shameless one who is as impudent as a crow, back-biting, presumptuous, arrogant and corrupt. Hard is the life of a modest one who seeks purity, is detached, humble, clean living and reflective. Dhammapada 244-45 (Buddhism)

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
We must uphold etiquette proper to the law of love. When your parents-in-law come to see you, can you tell them, “Father, mother, please wait until we finish kissing”? We must have modesty and observe proper etiquette.

A man must keep the etiquette proper to a husband, and a wife the courtesy proper to a wife. (112:65, March 29, 1981)

Children in reputable families are raised to be prudent in all things. Every step taken, every word uttered, every action contemplated must be prudent. Manners are complex, and it’s not easy to master them.

What child likes to mind his manners? In this age of permissiveness, no one cares much about manners, yet they are critical. If we don’t teach young people manners, it’s our own ruination: our family has no future.

Families with noble traditions contain many useful educational resources for teaching their children how to relate well with adults, with siblings, and with parents. (42:17, February 19, 1971)

Women chased Elvis Presley wherever he performed. They tried to touch him and grab him and even jump on him.

If he had announced, “Any woman who likes me can come to see me tonight,” undoubtedly there would be a long line of women at his door, many leaving their husbands behind.

Do singers like Elvis Presley and sports champions fulfill a good purpose or an evil purpose?

Generally, these superstars influence the world in a satanic way. Men and women who carefully groom their appearance and dress in the most elegant fashion generally have a satanic effect on the world. (122:263, November 21, 1982)